First Proposed: 1967
First Segment Approved: 1995

First Segment Opened: 2002
Full Loop By: 2022?

The Route: A 39 mile loop around Greensboro providing through traffic
with bypass and access to PTI Airport

The Greensboro Loop, when complete, will be a 39-mile interstate
quality route that will have four different interstate designations,
plus a US Route. The southern half is complete and signed as I-85, I-73
and US 421. The northern half is still under construction, and will have
I-840 (part with I-73) and I-785 routed upon it, see map below:

Map courtesy of NCDOT's Greensboro Loop Website.1

Loop History

The first proposal for a loop around Greensboro dates back to 1967 when
the highway appeared in the City of Greensboro's transportation plan.
Serious discussion of the future route did not happen until a decade
later when the city's 1977 thoroughfare plan which included the Loop was
officially adopted. Getting funding took longer, not until 1989 when the
state created a funding mechanism for urban loops, was an official
proposal passed along to NCDOT. In 1995 a Record of Decision for the
Loop was approved allowing construction to start. The first segment to
open, in 2002, was a short 2.2 mile connector between I-40/85 and US 70
east of Greensboro, which would be eventually be part of I-785. Work to
extend this section on the eastern side from US 70 to US 29 started in
2014 and was opened to traffic on December 6, 2017. The first major
segment of the Loop to open was in 2004, a 12.9 mile segment that would
serve as a southeast bypass for Interstate 85. The next segment to open
in 2008 was in the southwest, 8 miles long that, would initially carry
I-40 and I-73, but later I-73 and US 421. This segment continued 3.6
miles further north to Bryan Blvd. and provided access to Greensboro-PTI
International Airport. This segment carries both I-73 and I-840 but,
because of its short length, was signed as Future I-73/I-840 until 2018.2
The latest segment to open is the extension of the I-840 Western Loop
from Bryan Blvd. to US 220/Battleground Avenue, this opened to traffic
on April 19, 2018.3 Currently under construction is the one
remaining segment of the Western Loop, from US 220 to Lawndale Avenue,
started in November 2016 and due to be completed in December 2020.
The last remaining segment of the Eastern Loop, from Lawndale Avenue to
US 29 is due to start construction in late 2018.

This page will provide Exit Lists and Photos of the completed segments
and Exit Lists, Plans and Photos to track progress building those parts
under construction. The segments will start at the intersection of the
Loop with I-40 east of Greensboro and move clockwise:

The highway narrows and is surrounded by noise barrier walls heading
toward the current end of the highway at US 220/Battleground Avenue:

I-840 is reduced to 1 lane prior to heading down the ramp at the end of
the opened Loop section toward US 220:

Signage at the end of the ramp to US 220/Battleground Avenue:

Taking the ramp to US 220 North showing work continuing on bridge
headed further east toward Lawndale Drive:

Signage along US 220 North for I-840 West:

Turning around and heading south on US 220, the junction trailblazer
for I-840:

Signage at the on-ramp to I-840 from US 220 South:

Junction trailblazer (which no one can probably claim to have not seen)
prior to interchange on US 220 North:

Heading west on I-840

Onto the ramp from US 220:

The westbound lanes after the on-ramp with the noise barrier walls
paralleling the roadway:

The first West I-840 standalone reassurance marker:

Followed by the first overhead sign, the 2-mile advance sign for the
I-73 North/Bryan Blvd. exit:

The one-mile advance sign heading west:

The overhead signs at the exit itself have the 2-mile advance sign for
the W. Friendly Ave exit with I-73 exit number (interesting that the
distance is 2 miles, since the I-73 exit number (see photo below, is
107):

Signage along the C/D Ramp at the I-73 North ramp:

The exit signs along the rest of the Loop to I-40, and on I-40 itself,
have not been updated as of April 23. Turning around, to I-73
North/I-840 East, here's the first of three new Arrow-per-Lane overhead
signs approaching the new split of I-840 and I-73:

There's an additional one at the 1/2 mile distance from Bryan Blvd.:

The signage at the exit itself, notice I-73 North exits itself:

On Bryan Blvd. heading west, here's the
first advance sign for I-73 North, from Strider:

New photos of more recently placed signage, by Strider in August 2018:

Bryan Blvd and I-73 North both appear on
this distance sign on the Loop after the I-40 exit, the same with the
next new overhead sign that was being put up just after W. Friendly
Avenue:

Taken by Strider from Fleming Road bridge over unopened I-840, January
19, 2018:

Newly placed overhead signage on soon to open I-840 West at I-73/Bryan
Blvd exit

Closeup of W. Friendly Ave exit 2-mile advance sign. Exit tab has I-73
mileage exit number, numbers that will be changed along the rest of the
I-73 section of the Loop prior to this section being opened.

Looking along future section of I-840 East showing newly placed 2-mile
Advance sign for US 220/Battleground Avenue exit just beyond I-73/Bryan
Blvd exit. A couple other sign photos taken from the Horsepen
Creek Road bridge:

Looking south/west at the 1-Mile advance sign for I-73/Bryan Blvd. The
name for the PTI Airport was recently changed to Central North Carolina
International Airport, guess too late to be accounted for in the
signage.

Looking at the 1-Mile Advance overhead for US 220/Battleground Ave.
Road looks ready to open when the snow and ice melts.

Taken by Trent Heberling in April 2017:

Taken along Drawbridge Parkway in vicinity of future interchange with
US 220/Battleground Avenue

Along US 220/Battleground Avenue and looking
west and east of US 220

Exit sign plans for this Segment, from NCDOT6:

This will be the new reassurance marker sign after the W. Friendly
Ave. exit once I-73 is completed north of Greensboro.

Signage to be put up once I-73 opens north of Greensboro. Current Exit
2 tab for W. Friendly Avenue will be changed to 104.

Signage to be placed along W. Friendly Avenue.

Signage plan for I-40 East approaching the Greensboro Loop once I-73
is extended north.

Signage to be placed at the ramp from US 220 South to East I-840, the
route will be temporarily signed to Lawndale Drive until the rest of the
loop to US 29 is completed.

Here's the signage at the future on-ramp to West I-840 from Lawndale
Drive:

Northeast Segment Exits 8 to 21 (with
Exits 14 to 21)

Lawndale Drive to US 29 Section, 6 Miles,
Under Construction-5.2% Complete as of June 15, 2018, Completion
Date-May 24, 20224

US 29 to US 70 Section, 5 Miles, Complete,
Opened on December 7, 20175 (except for ramps from
I-785 North to US 29 South and I-785 South to US 29 North, completion
date 12/28/18)7

US 70 to I-40 Section, 2 Miles, Complete,
Opened in 2002

Though the contractor has until the end of 2018 to complete the US 70
to US 29 segment, the roadway was completed a year earlier than
scheduled, except for ramp from I-785 North to US 29 South.8

Exits on this Segment, Going North to South

Exit 8 (SB) Lawndale Dr

Exit 10 N Elm St

Exit 11 Yanceyville St

Exit 14 (Future ) North Reidsville Danville VA

Exit 17 Huffine Mill Rd

Exit 18*
Burlington Greensboro

Exit 21A (SB)
West (
South) Greensboro

Exit 21B (SB)
East /
North Durham Raleigh

* Changed from 19 in Nov. 2017

Exit sign plans for this Segment:9,10

Signage at the ramp to Lawndale Drive on I-840 East

This exit
mileage sign will be placed in I-840 East just beyond the Lawndale
Drive exit, and will have I-795 added when it is routed north of the
Loop.

Plans for
overhead signage for exits between Lawndale Drive and US 29:11

Signage southbound approaching US 29 (Future I-795 North) ramp:

Plans for
2-Mile advance sign for I-840 West/I-785 North at US 29, the first
for when I-785 is designated north of the Loop, the second for when
the highway opens in December 2017.

Here's the
signage at the exit ramp itself when I-785 is extended north of the
Loop:

Signage planned for the US 70 on-ramps when the final stretch of
I-840 is completed:

Here's showing that the current I-785 reassurance markers will be
replaced with signs with the 2 interstate shields:

At the other
end of the segment, here's the signage at the beginning of North
I-840 which will be temporarily only signed as I-785 until the Loop
is completed to Lawndale Drive:

Plans for signage approaching the Loop from I-40 West/I-85 South.
Includes spaces for Future placement of I-840 shield and another I-73
marker, compare to actual signage installed in July 2017 in photos
below.

In addition to signing I-840 along the eastern segment of the Loop
when the final I-840 section is completed, NCDOT also will be removing
the Business 85 designation through Greensboro. This End I-785/I-840
sign will replace the current auxiliary sign for Business 85 seen in
the photos below:

Here's plans for signage at the interchanges. First US 29:

The first signs will not have I-840 listed.

Photos from this Segment

Taken along newly opened segment from US 29 to US 70 by Site
Contributor, Strider, on December 7, 2017:

Overhead
signage at the Huffine Mill Road off-ramp includes the 1-Mile
advance sign for US 70 on I-785/Greensboro Loop South.

The US 70 exit
features a 1/4 mile, instead of 1/2 mile, advance sign approaching
the end of the new section of Eastern Greensboro Loop.

Overhead
signage at the US 70 exit on I-785 South includes a 2-Mile Advance
for the I-40/I-85 North exit.

Turning around
and heading back north:

Another median
exit mileage guide sign this one placed 1/2 mile prior to the US 70
exit. Given that this sign is before the 1-mile advance sign (photo
below) for US 70, it appears there's a missing mile for both US 70
and Huffine Mill Road.

The newly
replaced US 70 1-Mile advance sign with a new exit number, 18,
probably due to the off-ramp being placed further north.

Overhead signs
at the US 70 exit with the Huffine Mill Road sign now uncovered.

Looking north
along the start of the new section of I-785 North toward Huffine
Mill Road.

A North I-785 trailblazer covered over prior to opening of the new
section of the Greensboro Loop in November 2017 (for uncovered
versions, see sign plans above).

Looking south from the Huffine Mill interchange along the nearly
complete (except of line painting) lanes of I-785, the on-ramp to
I-785 South is to the right, the overhead sign gantry has an empty
space for the Cone Blvd exit to be constructed in the future.

Looking north along the unopened lanes toward US 29 showing completed
exit signing prior to the southbound off-ramp.

Looking south toward the US 70 interchange showing sign installation is
complete, but grading work still in progress.

A zoomed in view looking in the same direction shows exit signing
complete for US 70 exit which includes 2-mile advance sign for
I-40/I-85 North exit at end of I-785 South.

New signage for I-785 on I-85 North, courtesy of site contributor,
Tracy Hamm:

At the Youngs Mill Road exit:

And prior to I-40, the last exit sign at the ramp, seen in the
background, had not been replaced at the time of the photograph:

PREVIOUS PHOTOS

New signage put up by NCDOT on I-85 South/I-40 West in July 2017.
Photos by site contributor Strider:

Closer look at Arrow-per-Lane signage by Adam Prince:

Taken on April 15, 2017 by Site contributor Strider:

The first I-785 shield to appear on the Greensboro Loop just prior to
the I-84/I-40 Exit heading south.

In early 2017 NCDOT started putting up new overhead signs with I-785 at
the Greensboro Loop Exit, the extra space is for a future I-840 shield,
photo by Adam Prince.

Taken by the Webmaster on March 30, 2017:

A Future I-840 sign that has been up since shortly after the route was
opened in 2002. Unknown whether this will remain when I-785 signs go up

New exit support posts behind existing US 70 exit sign, new exit
signs were placed along the route in mid-April 2017.

Traveling along the future exit ramp to US 70 now serving as the end
of this segment of the Greensboro Loop heading north.

Looking over the barrier at the US 70 exit you can see the future
I-785/I-840 Loop heading north with paving near completion.

Looking at the future I-785/I-840 Southbound Loop lanes you can see
support posts being staged for future overhead signs.

View of future I-785/I-840 bridge over creek just south of the US 70
interchange.

Another Future I-840 sign along what will be the ramp from US 70 to
the Loop Southbound. Despite new I-785 signs going up (see below),
this sign still stands as of April 2017.

Sign for the end of I-785/I-840 as it existed from the opening of
the southeastern segment of the route in 2005 (with a space for former
Business I-40) until April 2017. Here's what the new signs looks
like courtesy of site contributor Strider:

The new signs drop Business 85 which is now only referred to on an
auxiliary trailblazer:

A closer look at the overheads seen at the official end of I-785:

Sign assemblies at the US 70 interchange, taken in 2002:

Photos taken at the Future US 29 interchange by Trent Heberling in
April 2017:

View taking ramp from Hicone Road showing new bridge over US
29 completed.

Entering US 29 South from new Hicone Road interchange on-ramp about
to go under new bridge.